How to avoid the early game grind?

[Lerceon]

I have been trying to get acquainted with playing an Archmage for some time now.
But every time I get decent leveled (~L16+), I die (repeatedly) and the game ends.

Besides Exploration mode, are there any other interesting/fun ideas for me to alleviate this?
(Save scum? How does that work? I sure don't mind having a L16+ character "saved" so that I can quickly get back into the game)

Maybe consider this a game improvement data point? I dunno, like maybe make the tier 1/2 dungeons more fun... somehow
Since it gets really boring clearing the tier 1/2 dungeons over and over again, to make a only tiny bit of progression beyond that and having to repeat the "grind" again.

[HousePet]

Maybe you are going to the wrong places?
Also, consider going shopping for better equipment.

[jenx]

I have been trying to get acquainted with playing an Archmage for some time now.
But every time I get decent leveled (~L16+), I die (repeatedly) and the game ends.

Besides Exploration mode, are there any other interesting/fun ideas for me to alleviate this?
(Save scum? How does that work? I sure don't mind having a L16+ character "saved" so that I can quickly get back into the game)

Maybe consider this a game improvement data point? I dunno, like maybe make the tier 1/2 dungeons more fun... somehow
Since it gets really boring clearing the tier 1/2 dungeons over and over again, to make a only tiny bit of progression beyond that and having to repeat the "grind" again.

For one, there are now so many low level artifacts that each run is different, and you are trying to build resilience etc so that tier 2 dungeons aren't so deadly, which from the fact that you are dying so often, means you need to improve at.

archmages are one of the most overpowered classes in the game, so something is not right in your play style imo. try a marauder or brawler if you want a real challenge in the first 16 levels....

[tylor]

Assign your strongest beam on 1, then just z11z11z11z11z11 etc to clear easy levels fast. (z is autoexplore, click twice on action - do it on nearest target)

[Faeryan]

Save scumming is essentially the same effect as exploration mode, so just do it easier by exploration.

Like they always say, practice makes perfect, so just keep going and eventually you make it. I still remember the horrors of playing an Archmage around the same level. It was brutal until I got the hang if it.

You didn't mention whether you did get your Fortress unlock on your chars or not, but if you did it's a good pastime to store useful items there for future more successful chars.

[Sianist]

it would help if you said where you died ... if its consistently the same spot i'd maybe suggest generating it early and going back out doing the rest.

[Lerceon]

I'm mainly dying at Boss Minotaur @ Maze IIRC.

Check out all my Archmages in the past 1 week. http://te4.org/user/107860/characters
For earlier deaths, I was still trying to get a hang of the play style and finding out what skills are actually effective.
No Wildfire tree, only accumulated 400k plus fire damage so far.
Comments?

As for playstyle and suggestions about improving, that's exactly what I'm trying to improve on.
But the feedback loop is very long, since I have to go through the parts I have already mastered again & again, just to inch forward slightly in the parts where I've yet to master and die quickly...

I suppose I should try exploration mode while remembering to keep a normal mode mindset.

[Tharsonius]

didnt look @ all chars but this one for example:

http://te4.org/characters/107860/tome/9 ... 9529744db4

and i think u have spread the points too much.between categorys.

if u dont have wildfire, id advise u to go arcane archmage which is imo the best after wildfire. but unfortunately aether beam is broken a little at the moment, so id also advise u to get the Nulltweaks addon which improves its mechanics.

points distribution id put like this:

arcane 1/5/1-5/5

unlock aether at lvl 10: 5/5/1/1-5

fire: 1-5/1/5/1

(id take out the flame points later, but fireflash is the single best spell and will also help u to unlock pyromancer if u manage to get past lvl 25-30). flameshock is great utility spell even a 1. and inferno is sometimes useful for softening up targets(range) and later on its good to spend your mana quickly in ccombo with disruption shield

last talent in aether is only needed later on, also aether avatar is not needed for all builds. its main benefit is that it works great in combo with disruption shield.

to get through the start of the game max manathrust, and glitch flame to 5(to take out points later), or just leave flame at 5.
max them as soon as possible, not just 3 points.

in the generics tree:

recommended class: higher

check the rune merchants in angolwen and last hope as soon as u got ~70 gold. imo a shield rune is better for an archmage than regen even at the beginning. try to get the highest/lowest cooldown one u find.

if u got a nice shield rune, aegis investment is next. 2nd talent shielding is the first u may want to raise a little. the first one should be only raised til it matches your healthpool, or if u rely on arcane shield skill so early already(i dont usually)

arcane eye 1 point for vaults, maybe even 5 points later for stealth/invisibility negation. i personally like the skill and try to get it from escorts on any casters.

higher racials 1/1/5/1

last skill can be useful later on in combo with disruption shield, but ull have to figure out if u need it.

conveyance well opinions differ. personally i dont bother getting displacement shield others seem to like it. i just make it 1 point to get probability travel

1 of the teleports should be lvl 4/5

if u want to create a backup point, the save files are in x:\users\name\t-engine... and can be copied out there

generally try to focus your points for maximal damage / shielding in the early game.

when u fight the minotaur or horned horror (which is worse for an inexperienced mage player) make sure to fight them alone. if they got enemys around them clear em out a little by casting around corners and retreating up the stairs maybe. if u dont have decent light radius use arcane eye in those situations.

minotaur is also the first fixed enemy who uses confuse on you, wintertide phial or a mental wild infusion help there. flameshock can be used to try to stun him.

edit: forgot 1 important thing. with aether beam/breach/fireflash u will have to be very careful to not kill yourself. unlock meta at lvl 20 and max and sustain spellcraft as soon as possible

maybe youre also missing out on gameplay stuff like autoexplore / resting? - perhaps watching some lets play will help u to find improvements of that kind. theres a guy in character reports who makes some.

[Lerceon]

Wow, thanks for the detailed help.

Can you elaborate on the casting around corners tip? Don't really get what you mean.

[Tharsonius]

at lvl 10 u will unlock aether, and u should do the maze approximately at lvl 12-15 so u can raise aether beam already to lvl 3-5

if theres ranged enemies just abuse line of sight, retreat until u find a good spot(corner) and then cast aether beam between the enemys (positioning of this spell is important), and dont bother using low damage abilities. its often better to go back out of line of sight and let the beam do its work so they cant hit u and u dont waste all your defenses too quickly.

aether breach/inferno spells like that can be used the same, because they deal their damage over several rounds. archmage will get much tankier later when the shields are stronger, but until then tactics like this help imo.

[tylor]

You also can skip/delay places and bosses before you feel you are ready fo them. It can be a good idea to leave Minotaur (or especially hi Alt), or Daikara(especially alt end boss) for later.

[Marson]

if theres ranged enemies just abuse line of sight, retreat until u find a good spot(corner) and then cast aether beam between the enemys (positioning of this spell is important), and dont bother using low damage abilities. its often better to go back out of line of sight and let the beam do its work so they cant hit u and u dont waste all your defenses too quickly.

This is really important. I'm still fairly new to the game as far as join date, but I've been putting a lot of time into it. From what I've experienced, I think tactics can be even more important than skill choice—at least for passing that first hump. Permadeath requires a very different mindset than most people are used to.

[malboro_urchin]

Could someone explain to me how Aether Beam works (when it doesn't get disarmed because an enemy gives it a slightly hostile glance)? The beams never seem to spin the way I expect them to, and I can never get them to hit the enemy.

[Tharsonius]

T = spot where u cast aether beam
x = beam affected area

--xx
xxxxx
xxTxx
xxxxx
--xx

i think its something like this, and every round it will affect 1 quarter of this area and hit it with multiple beams.
it rotates against clock spin

i know with some graphics settings it is hard to see the beam at all, but it can happen.

well dunno if this helps u seems i fail^^ but its range 2 and diagonally its only 1 field.

that disarming problem gets handled by the nulltweaks addon, id personally not play arcane mage without it.

i also think it starts at the lower left corner, but not sure its been some time since i played it. maybe someone else knows for sure. the damage is really good and it silences too. i think its clearly better than vortex

[malboro_urchin]

Tharsonius, that diagram is super helpful! <3

So the beam rotates counter-clockwise? Where do the first set of beams show up? Also, generally speaking, how many beam volleys does an enemy need to eat for Aether Beam to do respectable damage?

I personally prefer Aether Breach & Arcane Vortex; I find them easier to use, and a bit more consistent in their damage.